Improvement in hopples



W. S. MEAD. Hopples.

No. 205,116. Patented June18, I878.-

mPErERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHXNGTON D10.

WILLIAM S. MEAD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN HOPPLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 205,116, dated June 18,1878; application filed May 15, 1 878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. MEAD, of New-York, in the county of NewYork and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Hopples for Securing Animals; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, andto the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention is an improvement in hopples for securing the limbs ofanimals to keep them confined and prevent them from running or umping.

It consists of an oval ring of the bracelet form, divided into twosections and hinged together with a rivet, and so fashioned at the endsof the sections as to present a hooked extension and a notch to fitsnugly the one into the other, to clasp said ring or hopple about theleg of a horse or other animal.

As an important feature in this invention I provide a spring, which Iincase in a box, extending from the section A, provided with a hookbefore mentioned, which spring bears against the rivet, forming the axisof the hinge, to throw the section having the notched end toward thehook to secure the two sections together.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is an.

elevation of my improved device with a part of it broken away to showthe spring which bears against the rivet. Fig. 2 is an edge view of thesame with the plate covering the spring removed.

Similar reference-letters denote like parts in all of the figures. I

Referring to the drawings, A A are the two sections composing my hopple,hinged together by rivet B, which passes through from side to side. ThesectionA has extending from it the box 0, provided with the cavity D, toreceive the spring E.

At the opposite end of the section A is a hook, formed in the tongue to.The opposite section A is provided with a groove, 11, or jaws to receivethe tongue a, the notch of which fits over the notch b.

The tongue 0 in the opposite end of the section A fits between the jawsd d, which, together with the rivet B, form the hinge.

A plate, F, serves as a cover and protection to the box G, which isfastened down by studs e e, projecting from said box, which are battereddown after the spring E is put in place.

The studs e e serve, also, to secure the straps G G, one of which isused to couple two hopples together when used to keep the animal fromrunning or jumping, the other when a single one is used for hitchingpurposes.

When used for hitching, the strap extending from the hopple may beprovided with a snap-hook for convenience in attaching to a post orother hold.

The box 0 is provided on opposite sides with shoulders f, against whichthe outer edges of section A come when the ring is open sufficiently toreceive the leg of the animal.

In operating my device the hands take hold of the two sections A A ofthe hopple, and bear in opposite directions in line with the longdiameter of the ring. The rivet B moves in the elongated eyes of the box0, pressing against the springE in the cavity D. When the notch b, bythis movement, comes below the hook in the tongue (4, the two sections AA may be moved laterally in opposite directions to open the hopple. Itmay now be placed about the leg of the animal and pressed together. Thespring E bearing against the rivet B forces the section A toward thehook or in the section A, and the two sections are securely united.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

- The hooked and notched sections A A of a hopple, the former providedwith an extended box, 0, having a cavity, D, to receive a spring, E, andstuds 6 e, in combination with plate F and rivet B, arranged asdescribed, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM S. MEAD.

Witnesses HORACE HARRIS, H. A. MERRIAM.

